Seat belt buckle

ABSTRACT

A buckle and tongue seat belt assembly. The buckle has a latch which passes through an opening in the tongue to engage a pushbutton actuated release member. To release the tongue, the user actuates the push button to permit the latch to move independently of the release member toward a release position. As the latch moves in its release motion, it biases the tongue toward removal from the buckle.

United States Patent Stoffel Nov. 20, 11973 SEAT BELT BUCKLE 3,427,694 2/1969 Bullock 24 230 A 3,525,130 8/1970 Coenen.... 24/230 A [76] when Stone, 1714 3,574,902 4 1971 Lohr 24 230 A Saratoga Ave., Ferndale, Mich. 48220 Primary ExammerBernard A. Gelak [22] Filed: Feb. 15, 1972 Attorney-Charles W. Chandler [21] Appl. No.: 226,592

[ ABSTRACT 52 U.S. c1 24/230 A A buckle and tongue heh assembly- The buckle 51 int. c1 A44b 11/26 has a latch which Passes through an OPehihg in the 58 Field 61 Search 24/230 A, 241 PP, tongue to engage a Push-hutton actuated release 24/230 AZ ber. To release the tongue, the user actuates the push button to permit the latch to move independently of [56] References Cited the release member toward a release position. As the UNITED STATES PATENTS latch moves in its release motion, it biases the tongue toward removal from the buckle. 3,481,009 12/1969 Preston 24/230 A 3,405,966 10 1968 Harley 24 230 A 18 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PAIENTEDnuvo ms SHEET 10? 2 SEAT BELT BUCKLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention is related to safety seat belt buckles, and more particularly to a buckle having a latch that is passed through an opening in the tongue and connected to the buckle on both sides of the tongue. When the user releases the latch, it moves independently of the release member to remove the tongue from the buckle.

Conventional seat belt buckle assemblies employ a metal tongue having an opening. The tongue is'received throughan opening in a buckle housing to a position in which a latch is received in the tongue opening. Usually, a relatively stiff spring must be mounted in the buckle to prevent the latch from becoming unlocked when the buckle is exposed to a sudden impact. The user must then apply a release effort that is in proportion to the bias of the locking spring. For this reason, a conventional seat belt assembly is often difficult for the user to actuate when he wants to release the tongue from the buckle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The broad purpose of the present invention is to provide a seat belt buckle assembly in which the release motion of the latch is independent of the release motion of the user. Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a buckle mechanism in which the latch is passed through the tongue opening to a locking position in which it is connected to the buckle on opposite sides of the tongue to distribute any effort tending to remove the tongue from the buckle.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, which will be described in greater detail, the buckle has a base and a pair of sidewalls. The latch is mounted on the buckle sidewalls adjacent the base. A push-button actuated release member is also mounted on the buckle sidewalls. The tongue is received to its latched position between the release member and the latch. As the tongue is received into the buckle, the marginal edge of the tongue engages the latch to pivot a portion of the latch through the tongue opening to engage the release member. The release member prevents the latch from returning to its release position until actuated by the user. When the user actuates the release member, a

spring moves the latch in its unlocking motion and removes the tongue from the buckle.

Thus, the release motion of the latch is independent of the motion of the release member. The user has to apply only a relatively small effort in releasing the tongue. However, the tongue is securely locked in the buckle by a relatively stiff spring to prevent an accidental release.

Since the latch is connected to the buckle on both sides of the tongue, any forces tending to remove the tongue from its latched position are distributed over several locations in the buckle thereby allowing the individual components to be formed of relatively lightweight materials and a minimum number of components. Still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art of the invention upon reference to the following detailed description.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The description refers to the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a seat belt buckle assembly embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the components of the preferred buckle assembly in an exploded relationship;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view through the buckle assembly showing the positions of the buckle components prior to the tongue being received in the buckle housmg;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the tongue partially received in the buckle housing;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the tongue in its latched position; and

FIG. 6 is a view taken along lines 66 of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings. FIG. ll shows buckle as sembly 10, illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, connecting a vehicle seat belt 12 to a seat belt 14. Referring to FIG. 2, buckle assembly 10 includes a metal tongue 16 having an elongated opening 18 for receiving the looped end of belt 14. Tongue 16 also has a second elongated opening 20 adjacent a curved leading edge 22. Leading edge 22 includes a pair of shoulders 24 and 26 formed slightly forward of opening 20.

Buckle assembly It) includes sheet metal buckle member 28 having a pair of upturned sidewalls 30 and 32 on opposite sides of a flat base 33. Sidewalls 30 and 32 have a pair of opposed ears 34 adjacent one end of buckle member 28. One end of base 33 is bent toward ears 34 to form a short wall 36. Wall 36 has an elongated, centrally located opening 38 and is spaced from ears 34 to form a tongue-receiving opening. A pair of aligned openings 40 and 42 are formed in sidewalls 30 and 32, respectively, adjacent wall 36. At the opposite end of buckle 28, the base has an elongated opening 44 for receiving the looped end of seat belt 12, and a short wall 46 along one side of opening 44.

An elongated latch 48, preferably of sheet metal, has a pair of fingers 50 and 52 received in openings 40 and 42, respectively, so as to be pivotally mounted adjacent wall 36. Latch 43 has a second pair of fingers 54 and 56 formed at right angles to fingers 50 and 52 on opposite sides of an elongated midsection 58. The side edge of midsection 58 has a length slightly less than the length of tongue opening 20 so as to be receivable in the tongue opening. The base of midsection 58 has a length slightly less than the length of opening 38 to allow the midsection to be disposed in opening 33.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 5, latch 48 is mounted on the buckle sidewalls so as to be pivotal between a release position in which fingers 54 and 56 are adjacent short wall 36 as shown in FIG. 3, and a locking position in which the fingers 54 and 56 are adjacent base 33. In its release position, the free ends of fingers 54 and 56 are disposed above wall 36 in the path of motion of the tongue 16 as it is being received in the buckle. The distance between fingers 54 and 56 accommodates the distance between tongue shoulders 24 and 26 which engage the fingers as the tongue is being received in the buckle.

Referring to FIG. 2, a bias member 60 is mounted in the buckle between sidewalls 30 and 32. Bias member 60 is preferably formed of sheet spring steel with a pair of bent sides 62 and 64 adjacent sidewalls 30 and 32. Bias member 60 is seated on base 33 with its rear edge in abutment with wall 46. A pair of curved, resilient arms 66 and 68 engage latch 48 urging it toward its release position.

A release member 70, preferably formed of sheet metal, has a pair of ears 72 and 74 received in openings 76 and 78 formed in side walls 30 and 32. Release member 70 is pivotally mounted on the side walls in positions substantially parallel to base 33. Release member 70 carries a push button 80, and has an elongated opening 82 for receiving the midsection 58 of the latch when it is in its locking position. A bent section 84 of bias member 60 engages the release member below push button 80 to urge the release member toward a position in which it is engageable with latch 48. By moving the push button 80 toward the buckle base, the opposite end of the release member can be pivoted away from the base to release the latch.

A buckle housing 86, preferably formed of plastic, is carried on buckle member 28. Housing 86 has an elongated opening 88 adjacent buckle wall 36 for receiving tongue 16. Buckle housing also has another opening 90 for push button 88.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 6, as tongue 16 is being received into the buckle along its path of motion generally parallel to base 33, shoulders 24 and 26 engage fingers 54 and 56, respectively, to pivot latch midsection 58 toward tongue opening 20. Midsection 58 passes through tongue opening 20 to engage release member 70. Continued motion of the tongue causes the latch to pivot the release member until midsection 58 is received in opening 82. Release member 70 is then pivoted by spring action 84 toward the latch to retain it in its locking position. ln this locking position, latch 48 prevents the tongue 16 from being removed from the buckle.

In its locking position, latch 48 is connected on one side of the tongue to the buckle sidewalls by means of ears 72 and 74, and abuts wall 36 on the opposite side of the tongue. Thus any effort to remove the tongue from the buckle is distributed to several locations on the buckle.

To release the tongue, the user moves the push button 80 toward the buckle base 33 to pivot the release member away from the latch until midsection 58 is removed from opening 82. Midsection 58 is then moved by spring arms 66 and 68 toward wall 36. As the latch is pivoted toward its release position, midsection 58 engages the tongue to remove it from the buckle. Preferably spring fingers 66 and 68 are chosen of a stiffness such that the tongue tends to pop out of the buckle opening.

It is to be noted that latch 48 and release member 70 are movable independently of one another. That is to say that the latch cannot be removed from its locking position until the release member has been pivoted in its release motion. The arrangement is such that the release member need only be pivoted through a relatively short are of motion to release the latch which is then pivoted through an arc of about 90 degrees to its release position.

Still another advantage of the preferred buckle assembly is that it can be completely hand assembled. Latch fingers 50 and 52 are of such a length that they can be manually inserted into openings 40 and 42.

Buckle member 28 could also be formed by other manufacturing techniques, such as die casting.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a seat buckle assembly, the combination comprising:

a tongue having a planar section with an opening;

a buckle having a base, and an opening for receiving a tongue as it is moved along a path of motion parallel to the base;

an elongated latch movably mounted in the buckle in a position between the buckle base and the path of motion of the tongue so as to be received in the tongue opening as the tongue is being received in the buckle in a first direction toward a latched position;

abutment means mounted on the buckle base adjacent the latch for engaging it adjacent a first side of the tongue opening to prevent motion of the latch in a direction opposite to said first direction at such times as the latch is disposed in the tongue opening;

a release member mounted on the buckle for releasibly engaging the latch adjacent the tongue opening on the opposite side thereof as the abutment means to cooperate with the abutment means in preventing motion of the latch and the tongue toward the buckle opening, the release member being movable in a release motion to permit removal of the latch from the tongue opening; and

bias means mounted on the buckle and engaged with the latch for removing the latch from the tongue opening in response to a release motion of the release member.

2. A combination as defined in claim 1, in which the bias means urges the latch toward a position on one side of the latched position of the tongue and the release member engages the latch on the opposite side of said latched position.

3. A combination as defined in claim 1, in which the tongue engages the latch to pass it through the tongue opening as the tongue is being received in said latched position.

4. A combination as defined in claim 1, in which the release member has an opening for receiving the latch in a locking position in which the release member prevents removal of the latch from the tongue opening, and the tongue is operable to move the latch toward said locking position as the tongue is being received to its latched position.

5. A combination as defined in claim 1, in which the latch is pivotally mounted on the buckle member.

6. A combination as defined in claim 1, in which the latched position of the tongue is between the release member and said base.

7. A combination as defined in claim 1, in which the buckle member has a pair of spaced sidewalls and the release member and the latch are each mounted on both of said pair of sidewalls.

8. A combination as defined in claim 1, in which the path of motion of the tongue is between said pair of sidewalls.

9. A combination as defined in claim 1, in which the tongue is formed of a metal plate having an opening and the latch is formed of another metal plate disposed in the tongue opening generally perpendicular to the tongue when the latch is engaged with the release member.

10. A combination as defined in claim 1, in which the latch is elongated, and disposed in the buckle transversely to the path of motion of the tongue.

11. A combination as defined in claim 10, in which said abutment means engages the latch along a longitudinal side edge thereof.

12. A combination as defined in claim 1, in which the release member engages only a portion of the latch that is received through the tongue opening.

13. A combination as defined in claim 1, in which the release member has an opening to receive the latch.

14. A combination as defined in claim 1, in which the latch is received in the tongue opening by a pivotal motion about an axis transverse to the path of motion of the tongue.

15. A combination as defined in claim 1, in which the bias means is engageable with the release member to oppose said release motion.

16. A combination as defined in claim 1, in which the latch has a component of motion normal to the base as the latch is being received through the tongue opening.

17. A combination as defined in claim 1, in which the abutment means is mounted on the base adjacent the buckle opening.

18. A seat buckle assembly comprising:

a tongue having a planar section with an opening;

a buckle having a base, and an elongated opening for receiving the tongue into the buckle toward a latched position;

a latch mounted on the buckle in a position between the buckle base and the latched position of the tongue so as to be received in the tongue opening as the tongue is being received in the buckle such that a first portion of the latch is passed through the tongue opening to a position on the opposite side thereof with respect to a second portion of the latch;

abutment means mounted in the buckle adjacent the latch for engaging the second portion of the latch to prevent motion thereof in a direction toward the buckle opening;

a release member mounted on the buckle for releasibly engaging the first portion of the latch so as to be operative to prevent removal of the latch from the tongue opening, the release member being movable in a release motion to permit removal of the latch from the tongue opening; and

bias means mounted on the buckle and engaged with the latch for urging it toward removal from the tongue opening. 

1. In a seat buckle assembly, the combination comprising: a tongue having a planar section with an opening; a buckle having a base, and an opening for receiving a tongue as it is moved along a path of motion parallel to the base; an elongated latch movably mounted in the buckle in a position between the buckle base and the path of motion of the tongue so as to be received in the tongue opening as the tongue is being received in the buckle in a first direction toward a latched position; abutment means mounted on the buckle base adjacent the latch for engaging it adjacent a first side of the tongue opening to prevent motion of the latch in a direction opposite to said first direction at such times as the latch is disposed in the tongue opening; a release member mounted on the buckle for releasibly engaging the latch adjacent the tongue opening on the opposite side thereof as the abutment means to cooperate with the abutment means in preventing motion of the latch and the tongue toward the buckle opening, the release member being movable in a release motion to permit removal of the latch from the tongue opening; and bias meanS mounted on the buckle and engaged with the latch for removing the latch from the tongue opening in response to a release motion of the release member.
 2. A combination as defined in claim 1, in which the bias means urges the latch toward a position on one side of the latched position of the tongue and the release member engages the latch on the opposite side of said latched position.
 3. A combination as defined in claim 1, in which the tongue engages the latch to pass it through the tongue opening as the tongue is being received in said latched position.
 4. A combination as defined in claim 1, in which the release member has an opening for receiving the latch in a locking position in which the release member prevents removal of the latch from the tongue opening, and the tongue is operable to move the latch toward said locking position as the tongue is being received to its latched position.
 5. A combination as defined in claim 1, in which the latch is pivotally mounted on the buckle member.
 6. A combination as defined in claim 1, in which the latched position of the tongue is between the release member and said base.
 7. A combination as defined in claim 1, in which the buckle member has a pair of spaced sidewalls and the release member and the latch are each mounted on both of said pair of sidewalls.
 8. A combination as defined in claim 1, in which the path of motion of the tongue is between said pair of sidewalls.
 9. A combination as defined in claim 1, in which the tongue is formed of a metal plate having an opening and the latch is formed of another metal plate disposed in the tongue opening generally perpendicular to the tongue when the latch is engaged with the release member.
 10. A combination as defined in claim 1, in which the latch is elongated, and disposed in the buckle transversely to the path of motion of the tongue.
 11. A combination as defined in claim 10, in which said abutment means engages the latch along a longitudinal side edge thereof.
 12. A combination as defined in claim 1, in which the release member engages only a portion of the latch that is received through the tongue opening.
 13. A combination as defined in claim 1, in which the release member has an opening to receive the latch.
 14. A combination as defined in claim 1, in which the latch is received in the tongue opening by a pivotal motion about an axis transverse to the path of motion of the tongue.
 15. A combination as defined in claim 1, in which the bias means is engageable with the release member to oppose said release motion.
 16. A combination as defined in claim 1, in which the latch has a component of motion normal to the base as the latch is being received through the tongue opening.
 17. A combination as defined in claim 1, in which the abutment means is mounted on the base adjacent the buckle opening.
 18. A seat buckle assembly comprising: a tongue having a planar section with an opening; a buckle having a base, and an elongated opening for receiving the tongue into the buckle toward a latched position; a latch mounted on the buckle in a position between the buckle base and the latched position of the tongue so as to be received in the tongue opening as the tongue is being received in the buckle such that a first portion of the latch is passed through the tongue opening to a position on the opposite side thereof with respect to a second portion of the latch; abutment means mounted in the buckle adjacent the latch for engaging the second portion of the latch to prevent motion thereof in a direction toward the buckle opening; a release member mounted on the buckle for releasibly engaging the first portion of the latch so as to be operative to prevent removal of the latch from the tongue opening, the release member being movable in a release motion to permit removal of the latch from the tongue opening; and bias means mounted on the buckle and engaged with the latch for urging it toward removal from tHe tongue opening. 